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Nero #1
The Confessions of Young Nero
The New York Times bestselling and legendary author of Helen of Troy and Elizabeth I now turns her gaze on Emperor Nero, one of the most notorious and misunderstood figures in history.
Built on the backs of those who fell before it, Julius Caesar's imperial dynasty is only as strong as the next person who seeks to control it. In the Roman Empire no one is safe from the sting of betrayal: man, woman or child.
As a boy, Nero's royal heritage becomes a threat to his very life, first when the mad emperor Caligula tries to drown him, then when his great aunt attempts to secure her own son's inheritance. Faced with shocking acts of treachery, young Nero is dealt a harsh lesson: it is better to be cruel than dead.
While Nero idealizes the artistic and athletic principles of Greece, his very survival rests on his ability to navigate the sea of vipers that is Rome. The most lethal of all is his own mother, a cold-blooded woman whose singular goal is to control the empire. With cunning and poison, the obstacles fall one by one. But as Agrippina's machinations earn her son a title he is both tempted and terrified to assume, Nero's determination to escape her thrall will shape him into the man he was fated to become, an Emperor who became legendary.
With impeccable research and captivating prose, The Confessions of Young Nero is the story of a boy's ruthless ascension to the throne. Detailing his journey from innocent youth to infamous ruler, it is an epic tale of the lengths to which man will go in the ultimate quest for power and survival.
Built on the backs of those who fell before it, Julius Caesar's imperial dynasty is only as strong as the next person who seeks to control it. In the Roman Empire no one is safe from the sting of betrayal: man, woman or child.
As a boy, Nero's royal heritage becomes a threat to his very life, first when the mad emperor Caligula tries to drown him, then when his great aunt attempts to secure her own son's inheritance. Faced with shocking acts of treachery, young Nero is dealt a harsh lesson: it is better to be cruel than dead.
While Nero idealizes the artistic and athletic principles of Greece, his very survival rests on his ability to navigate the sea of vipers that is Rome. The most lethal of all is his own mother, a cold-blooded woman whose singular goal is to control the empire. With cunning and poison, the obstacles fall one by one. But as Agrippina's machinations earn her son a title he is both tempted and terrified to assume, Nero's determination to escape her thrall will shape him into the man he was fated to become, an Emperor who became legendary.
With impeccable research and captivating prose, The Confessions of Young Nero is the story of a boy's ruthless ascension to the throne. Detailing his journey from innocent youth to infamous ruler, it is an epic tale of the lengths to which man will go in the ultimate quest for power and survival.
514 pages, Hardcover
First published March 7, 2017
560 people are currently reading
6819 people want to read
About the author
Margaret George
74 books2,918 followersMargaret George is a rolling stone who has lived in many places, beginning her traveling at the age of four when her father joined the U.S. diplomatic service and was posted to a consulate in Taiwan. The family traveled on a freighter named after Ulysses' son Telemachus that took thirty days to reach Taiwan, where they spent two years. Following that they lived in Tel Aviv (right after the 1948 war, when it was relatively quiet), Bonn and Berlin (during the spy-and-Cold-War days) before returning--at the height of Elvis-mania--to Washington DC, where Margaret went to high school. Margaret's first piece of published writing, at the age of thirteen, was a letter to TIME Magazine defending Elvis against his detractors. (Margaret has since been to Graceland.)
But it was earlier in Israel that Margaret, an avid reader, began writing novels to amuse herself when she ran out of books to read. Interestingly, the subject of these was not what lay around her in the Middle East, but the American west, which she had never set foot in. (Now that she lives in the American Midwest she writes about the Middle East!) Clearly writing in her case followed Emily Dickinson's observation "There is no frigate like a book" and she used it to go to faraway places. Now she has added another dimension to that travel by specializing in visiting times remote from herself.
Neither of these horse sagas got published, but the ten-year-old author received an encouraging note from an editor at Grosset & Dunlap, telling her she had a budding talent but should work on her spelling.
It was also in Israel that Margaret started keeping land tortoises as pets, an interest which she still follows today. She had a great affinity for animals and nature and that led her to a double major at Tufts University in English literature and biology. Following that she received an MA in ecology from Stanford University--one of the earliest departments to offer such a concentration. Today she is active in environmental and animal conservation groups.
Combining her interests led her to a position as a science writer at the National Cancer Institute (National Institutes of Health) in Bethesda, Maryland for four years.
Her marriage at the end of that time meant moving, first to St. Louis, then to Uppsala, Sweden, and then to Madison, Wisconsin, where she and her husband Paul have lived for more than twenty years now. They have one grown daughter who lives in California and is in graduate school.
Through all this Margaret continued to write, albeit slowly and always on only one project at a time. She wrote what she refers to as her 'Ayn Rand/adventure novel' in college and her 'Sex and the City' novel in Washington DC. It was in St. Louis that she suddenly got the idea of writing a 'psycho-biography' of Henry VIII. She had never seen such a thing done but became convinced the king was a victim of bad PR and she should rescue his good name. Her background in science meant that only after thoroughly researching the literature and scholarship on Henry VIII would she embark on the novel itself. She sought the guidance of a Tudor historian at Washington University for a reading list, and proceeded from there.
It was actually fourteen years between her initial idea and the publication of The Autobiography of Henry VIII. The book made an impression for several reasons: first, because no one had ever written a novel sympathetic to the king before; second, because it covered his entire life from before birth until after his death, making it almost a thousand pages long, and third, because it was so fact-filled.
But it was earlier in Israel that Margaret, an avid reader, began writing novels to amuse herself when she ran out of books to read. Interestingly, the subject of these was not what lay around her in the Middle East, but the American west, which she had never set foot in. (Now that she lives in the American Midwest she writes about the Middle East!) Clearly writing in her case followed Emily Dickinson's observation "There is no frigate like a book" and she used it to go to faraway places. Now she has added another dimension to that travel by specializing in visiting times remote from herself.
Neither of these horse sagas got published, but the ten-year-old author received an encouraging note from an editor at Grosset & Dunlap, telling her she had a budding talent but should work on her spelling.
It was also in Israel that Margaret started keeping land tortoises as pets, an interest which she still follows today. She had a great affinity for animals and nature and that led her to a double major at Tufts University in English literature and biology. Following that she received an MA in ecology from Stanford University--one of the earliest departments to offer such a concentration. Today she is active in environmental and animal conservation groups.
Combining her interests led her to a position as a science writer at the National Cancer Institute (National Institutes of Health) in Bethesda, Maryland for four years.
Her marriage at the end of that time meant moving, first to St. Louis, then to Uppsala, Sweden, and then to Madison, Wisconsin, where she and her husband Paul have lived for more than twenty years now. They have one grown daughter who lives in California and is in graduate school.
Through all this Margaret continued to write, albeit slowly and always on only one project at a time. She wrote what she refers to as her 'Ayn Rand/adventure novel' in college and her 'Sex and the City' novel in Washington DC. It was in St. Louis that she suddenly got the idea of writing a 'psycho-biography' of Henry VIII. She had never seen such a thing done but became convinced the king was a victim of bad PR and she should rescue his good name. Her background in science meant that only after thoroughly researching the literature and scholarship on Henry VIII would she embark on the novel itself. She sought the guidance of a Tudor historian at Washington University for a reading list, and proceeded from there.
It was actually fourteen years between her initial idea and the publication of The Autobiography of Henry VIII. The book made an impression for several reasons: first, because no one had ever written a novel sympathetic to the king before; second, because it covered his entire life from before birth until after his death, making it almost a thousand pages long, and third, because it was so fact-filled.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 602 reviews
February 7, 2017
Margaret George has done it again and produced yet another triumph of historical fiction. This one follows the much maligned Nero from his humble beginnings in a lower branch of the imperial family tree to the prize itself, Roman emperor. Then, it ends on an epic cliff hanger, but I forgive her because it is so awesome. If you can't handle that kind of wait, you may want to hold off on reading this until the next installment is out.
All I knew about Nero (before this book) was that he "fiddled while Rome burned." George combines the research of a scientist with the storytelling ability of a master writer to bring this man's story to life. I have to admit- I actually felt sorry for the guy. Yes, despite the orgies, outlandish expenditures, palatial living, and god-like status, poor Nero, like all of us, just wanted to be loved. At least, so says Margaret George.
"It was hard to keep the family... straight. There was so much intermarrying that everyone seemed related to everyone else." loc 219. Like British aristocracy, the upper echelons of Roman society were actually quite small and so everyone actually knew each other very well. Their children married, they frequently divorced and remarried each other, and excuses were made for the very close marriages. Abhorrent to modern eyes, perhaps, but like royalty from many different ages, somehow the rules were bent and it was allowed.
From his very earliest days, Nero watches others scheme, poison, and claw their way towards power. It really messes him up. "It was my first, and most brutal, lesson in what lengths to which evil people will go, and for what flimsy reasons. I have never forgotten it, nor let down my guard since. Let them call me cruel. Better that than dead." loc 544, ebook. Just to put it into perspective, Nero's uncle, the Emperor Caligula, once declared war on the god, Poseidon, and had his soldiers run into the ocean and stab the waves with their swords- totally bonkers. George suggests throughout the story that Nero is not only trying to outshine his relatives because of natural ambition, but also because he believes there is a curse in his blood. With an extended family like that, I can see his point.
George also does a good job bringing Rome and her curious attitudes about everyone not Roman to life. Nero is fond of the Greeks- their music, poetry, and athleticism. But, to the Romans, that sort of cultural appreciation is unmanly and unnatural. I think it was just an extension of the very human attitude of "us vs them" but Romans took it very badly when Nero wanted to perform music in public (gasp), wear a tunic rather than a toga (double gasp), and race a chariot in the Coliseum (passes out on the floor). These things were not done but Nero insisted on doing them. Compared to the things that celebrities get away with today, those behavioral peculiarities seem so tame.
Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction, ancient Rome, or people who want to get lost in a story. Margaret George is amazing. I own four of her books and, when this is published, I just may have to pick it up too. Coming from a (former) librarian, this is really one of the highest compliments I can give to an author. Do yourself a favor, if you like this genre and haven't tried her yet, pick up Margaret George.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for a free advance reader copy of this book.
All I knew about Nero (before this book) was that he "fiddled while Rome burned." George combines the research of a scientist with the storytelling ability of a master writer to bring this man's story to life. I have to admit- I actually felt sorry for the guy. Yes, despite the orgies, outlandish expenditures, palatial living, and god-like status, poor Nero, like all of us, just wanted to be loved. At least, so says Margaret George.
"It was hard to keep the family... straight. There was so much intermarrying that everyone seemed related to everyone else." loc 219. Like British aristocracy, the upper echelons of Roman society were actually quite small and so everyone actually knew each other very well. Their children married, they frequently divorced and remarried each other, and excuses were made for the very close marriages. Abhorrent to modern eyes, perhaps, but like royalty from many different ages, somehow the rules were bent and it was allowed.
From his very earliest days, Nero watches others scheme, poison, and claw their way towards power. It really messes him up. "It was my first, and most brutal, lesson in what lengths to which evil people will go, and for what flimsy reasons. I have never forgotten it, nor let down my guard since. Let them call me cruel. Better that than dead." loc 544, ebook. Just to put it into perspective, Nero's uncle, the Emperor Caligula, once declared war on the god, Poseidon, and had his soldiers run into the ocean and stab the waves with their swords- totally bonkers. George suggests throughout the story that Nero is not only trying to outshine his relatives because of natural ambition, but also because he believes there is a curse in his blood. With an extended family like that, I can see his point.
George also does a good job bringing Rome and her curious attitudes about everyone not Roman to life. Nero is fond of the Greeks- their music, poetry, and athleticism. But, to the Romans, that sort of cultural appreciation is unmanly and unnatural. I think it was just an extension of the very human attitude of "us vs them" but Romans took it very badly when Nero wanted to perform music in public (gasp), wear a tunic rather than a toga (double gasp), and race a chariot in the Coliseum (passes out on the floor). These things were not done but Nero insisted on doing them. Compared to the things that celebrities get away with today, those behavioral peculiarities seem so tame.
Highly recommended for fans of historical fiction, ancient Rome, or people who want to get lost in a story. Margaret George is amazing. I own four of her books and, when this is published, I just may have to pick it up too. Coming from a (former) librarian, this is really one of the highest compliments I can give to an author. Do yourself a favor, if you like this genre and haven't tried her yet, pick up Margaret George.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for a free advance reader copy of this book.
March 21, 2017
When I was young, I discovered Margaret George and devoured her historical novels. It has been quite a long time since I read anything by her, but she has kept to a similar formula – taking a historical character and then writing their life, usually from the first person perspective. Often the people she writes about have stories that are very well known, but she incorporates such detail in the re-telling, that you really do have the sensation of a life lived. Obviously, this is fiction and putting thoughts into a real person’s mind, however long ago they lived, is a difficult thing to do. However, it is obvious that the author does a huge amount of research and this is reflected in the care she takes to tell the story thoroughly. However, this is not a dry re-telling, but George really does attempt to breathe life into the characters and to make the era they lived in also feel realistic.
I must admit that Nero is somebody I knew a fairly small amount about, especially compared to other Roman Emperor’s. There are all sorts of images that you think of – probably for many of us, it is that of Peter Ustinov playing music while Rome was in flames (the image of Nero fiddling while Rome burnt is similar to that of Marie Antoinette telling people to eat cake, in that it becomes so associated with them that it is hard to separate fact from fiction).
In this book, George takes Nero back to the four year old Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, whose mother has been exiled, his father dead, and who is, literally when we first meet him, at the mercy of his Uncle Caligula. This early exposure to the whims of a Caesar give the young Nero a forbidding view of his future. He is privy to early, huddled, secretive meetings by relatives about ridding themselves of Caligula and, when this comes to pass, he finds himself swooped up by his mother, Agrippina, and taken to Rome. Claudius is now Emperor, but life is still not safe, and never will be. Nero is fairly young when he realises that he has the, “blood of murderers coursing through him,” and that his early witness to violence and politics are deeply embedded in his life, whether he likes it or not.
There is plenty here about Nero’s love of music, theatre and games, which people associate with him. His desire to have someone to trust that he can cling to, but the knowledge that his ancestors loom over his life and give it a direction as part of the most powerful Julio-Claudian dynasty. This is a tale of Ancient Rome which has everything you would expect – threats of death, poison, seduction, murder, power, politics and the man chosen to be the heir of Claudius, who needs to be ever watchful, suspicious and unsure who he can trust. This is an entertaining historical novel and an enjoyable addition to Margaret George’s series of fictional biographies. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
I must admit that Nero is somebody I knew a fairly small amount about, especially compared to other Roman Emperor’s. There are all sorts of images that you think of – probably for many of us, it is that of Peter Ustinov playing music while Rome was in flames (the image of Nero fiddling while Rome burnt is similar to that of Marie Antoinette telling people to eat cake, in that it becomes so associated with them that it is hard to separate fact from fiction).
In this book, George takes Nero back to the four year old Lucius Domitius Ahenobarbus, whose mother has been exiled, his father dead, and who is, literally when we first meet him, at the mercy of his Uncle Caligula. This early exposure to the whims of a Caesar give the young Nero a forbidding view of his future. He is privy to early, huddled, secretive meetings by relatives about ridding themselves of Caligula and, when this comes to pass, he finds himself swooped up by his mother, Agrippina, and taken to Rome. Claudius is now Emperor, but life is still not safe, and never will be. Nero is fairly young when he realises that he has the, “blood of murderers coursing through him,” and that his early witness to violence and politics are deeply embedded in his life, whether he likes it or not.
There is plenty here about Nero’s love of music, theatre and games, which people associate with him. His desire to have someone to trust that he can cling to, but the knowledge that his ancestors loom over his life and give it a direction as part of the most powerful Julio-Claudian dynasty. This is a tale of Ancient Rome which has everything you would expect – threats of death, poison, seduction, murder, power, politics and the man chosen to be the heir of Claudius, who needs to be ever watchful, suspicious and unsure who he can trust. This is an entertaining historical novel and an enjoyable addition to Margaret George’s series of fictional biographies. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, via NetGalley, for review.
June 19, 2019
I’ve started to delve into more historical fiction this year and after a kind recommendation of various books to try, it was this novel about Nero’s early life that grabbed my attention.
Why him? Pretty much all of my knowledge on ancient history comes from early Doctor Who, when the remit of the show was to be educational for the younger audience, The First Doctor met Nero during the great fire of Rome.
It’s one of my favourite stories from that era. Doctor Who: The Romans
With this book covering Nero’s childhood to those events in Rome, this was exactly the type of book I was looking to read!
I sometimes find the ancient past a completely different place where as this novel’s strength is the telling of Nero’s life in the first person, with he’s thoughts and feeling made him very human and helped me appreciate the period and culture easier.
The short chapters also added to my enjoyment, along with plenty of sex and violence helped make this a gripping and compelling read.
Why him? Pretty much all of my knowledge on ancient history comes from early Doctor Who, when the remit of the show was to be educational for the younger audience, The First Doctor met Nero during the great fire of Rome.
It’s one of my favourite stories from that era. Doctor Who: The Romans
With this book covering Nero’s childhood to those events in Rome, this was exactly the type of book I was looking to read!
I sometimes find the ancient past a completely different place where as this novel’s strength is the telling of Nero’s life in the first person, with he’s thoughts and feeling made him very human and helped me appreciate the period and culture easier.
The short chapters also added to my enjoyment, along with plenty of sex and violence helped make this a gripping and compelling read.
November 1, 2019
This was quite a different look at the Emperor Nero, a man who has gone down in history as a tyrant, a deviant, an aberrant man who lusted both for power and the things he felt he was entitled to without a thought of the people he ruled.
We are given the background of Nero and his relationship to his mother, a woman who would stop at nothing to achieve the power she so desired. She was a woman who had no problem with doing away with those she believed stood in her path and that included her son as well. It is under those auspices that we see Nero growing up. Certainly his life, at this point, was not an enviable one with death waiting behind every person and every piece of food, water, or wine he consumed. Yet, Nero survived and went onto to becoming an emperor learning along the way how to rule, but more importantly to him, how to get the things he wanted.
Margaret George has given us a comprehensive look at the young Nero, and has been able to allow us to view a totally different side of a boy grown to manhood, and the legends that surround him.
We are given the background of Nero and his relationship to his mother, a woman who would stop at nothing to achieve the power she so desired. She was a woman who had no problem with doing away with those she believed stood in her path and that included her son as well. It is under those auspices that we see Nero growing up. Certainly his life, at this point, was not an enviable one with death waiting behind every person and every piece of food, water, or wine he consumed. Yet, Nero survived and went onto to becoming an emperor learning along the way how to rule, but more importantly to him, how to get the things he wanted.
Margaret George has given us a comprehensive look at the young Nero, and has been able to allow us to view a totally different side of a boy grown to manhood, and the legends that surround him.
April 16, 2017
Margaret George excels in her autobiographical approach to the much-maligned emperor, Nero, of whom such sordid accusations have been made, it's almost impossible to extract truth from fiction. With few unbiased sources of research, as Nero's name was blackened thoroughly by his successors after his demise, she recreates with sympathy and wit the uncertain boy dominated by the ambitions of his lethal mother, his dangerous interactions with the elite of Rome, his yearning to become an accomplished musician / artist in his own right, and his inevitable, if at times unwilling, path toward absolute power.
While Nero is depicted in all his strength, his fallibility gets equal page time; he can come across as almost pathetic as he insists on his artistic ventures while Rome seethes, plots, and eliminates rivals on a whim. But his relationship with his mother, Agrippina, sheds cruel light on a young mind warped by a woman whose moral compass is as single-minded as it is twisted. Though we see less of her than we might prefer, to Nero's relief, whenever she hits the scene, you're riveted. Agrippina is the serpent in Nero's heart, and we just know that no matter how he might escape her physically, he'll never escape her emotionally. She leaves her brand on him as only a mother can.
The first in a two-book series on Nero, the book ends as he solidifies his power over Rome. Through his eyes, we experience not only his awakening to who he is and what he must do to survive, but we walk the crowded streets of Rome, the airy palaces with their taint of blood, and sniff goblets that might be tainted with poison and spell our death. Ms George never falters in her clarity of intent to rescue Nero from the calumny that submerged him, without descending to maudlin justifications, and I, for one, can't wait to see him in his full glory in the next installment.
While Nero is depicted in all his strength, his fallibility gets equal page time; he can come across as almost pathetic as he insists on his artistic ventures while Rome seethes, plots, and eliminates rivals on a whim. But his relationship with his mother, Agrippina, sheds cruel light on a young mind warped by a woman whose moral compass is as single-minded as it is twisted. Though we see less of her than we might prefer, to Nero's relief, whenever she hits the scene, you're riveted. Agrippina is the serpent in Nero's heart, and we just know that no matter how he might escape her physically, he'll never escape her emotionally. She leaves her brand on him as only a mother can.
The first in a two-book series on Nero, the book ends as he solidifies his power over Rome. Through his eyes, we experience not only his awakening to who he is and what he must do to survive, but we walk the crowded streets of Rome, the airy palaces with their taint of blood, and sniff goblets that might be tainted with poison and spell our death. Ms George never falters in her clarity of intent to rescue Nero from the calumny that submerged him, without descending to maudlin justifications, and I, for one, can't wait to see him in his full glory in the next installment.
September 2, 2024
You can always count on Margaret George to deliver a well-written, in-depth depiction of a historical figure while also leaving room for some poetic license.
I knew nothing (much) about Nero and his time as Roman emperor/Caesar. I had heard some of the well-worn salacious mythology about him and his reign. Some so awful, it’s hard to believe. George does a great job of navigating Nero’s best and worst deeds.
Kudos to George for finding her way through the facts (what little that was written near his time period) and myths surrounding this last leader of his line. Foremost, we meet a man— with talents, exceptional experiences and horrifying relatives. (Mommy Dearest had nothing on Agrippina!!)
The book starts with Nero’s first memory then follows as he finds kinship in one household and short-lived friendships in another. His athleticism shines brightly until he can no longer remain just a participant in his favorite sports. In his mid teens, the tides of his fortune turn sharply and his life is no longer his to govern. Later we meet an artistic Nero and watch as he navigates his reign in Rome and beyond. The novel progresses until we leave Nero and his lady-love watching Rome burn. The rest of his story George has left for another volume.
Lots of historic figures grace the pages of this book. Some familiar and others new (to me). This history geek couldn’t have been happier adding new bits of information to her Roman Empire knowledge. So much detail and yet, never boring!
I found myself googling many of the historic sites, towns and cities of Nero’s time. Quite frankly this was a fascinating period in Roman history. I look forward to reading the rest.
(Reviewed 9/16/18)
I knew nothing (much) about Nero and his time as Roman emperor/Caesar. I had heard some of the well-worn salacious mythology about him and his reign. Some so awful, it’s hard to believe. George does a great job of navigating Nero’s best and worst deeds.
Kudos to George for finding her way through the facts (what little that was written near his time period) and myths surrounding this last leader of his line. Foremost, we meet a man— with talents, exceptional experiences and horrifying relatives. (Mommy Dearest had nothing on Agrippina!!)
The book starts with Nero’s first memory then follows as he finds kinship in one household and short-lived friendships in another. His athleticism shines brightly until he can no longer remain just a participant in his favorite sports. In his mid teens, the tides of his fortune turn sharply and his life is no longer his to govern. Later we meet an artistic Nero and watch as he navigates his reign in Rome and beyond. The novel progresses until we leave Nero and his lady-love watching Rome burn. The rest of his story George has left for another volume.
Lots of historic figures grace the pages of this book. Some familiar and others new (to me). This history geek couldn’t have been happier adding new bits of information to her Roman Empire knowledge. So much detail and yet, never boring!
I found myself googling many of the historic sites, towns and cities of Nero’s time. Quite frankly this was a fascinating period in Roman history. I look forward to reading the rest.
(Reviewed 9/16/18)
March 7, 2017
Readers of this blog are well-aware of my love for author Margaret George, so it should come as no surprise that I'm ending my reviewing hiatus just to share my love for her latest novel, The Confessions of Young Nero.
Ms. George is the author who drew me into the Historical Fiction genre when I picked up Mary, Queen of Scots and the Isles years ago and she continues to slay me with her amazing writing and fascinating historical characters. I love the way she chooses figures from history that are maligned or controversial. George now tackles Ancient Rome and the early life of the legendary Emperor Nero. From being nearly drowned by his uncle, Caligula, to his volatile relationship with his mother Agrippina, his marriage to Poppaea, Rome's battle with Queen Boudicca, his meeting with the Apostle Paul, and the burning of Rome, readers are swept back into history and given a front row seat.
Beyond Nero's political dealings, George delves into Nero's personal side as well. His love of the arts and music, and his inner turmoil of being an Emperor and the nefarious things he had to do along the way. George paints Nero as a flawed man, but one that knows he is flawed.
I look forward to George continuing Nero's story in her next novel, which she is currently working on now. I remember hearing somewhere that she is also thinking of writing a book on Queen Boudicca and I sincerely hope that she does. I wanted to hear more about Boudicca's battle with Rome.
I highly recommend you checking out The Confessions of Young Nero, it's a fascinating look at a real, yet flawed, Emperor Nero! May I note as well, the hardcover copy is absolutely gorgeous and has a deckle edge, which I love!
Rating: 4 Stars
Ms. George is the author who drew me into the Historical Fiction genre when I picked up Mary, Queen of Scots and the Isles years ago and she continues to slay me with her amazing writing and fascinating historical characters. I love the way she chooses figures from history that are maligned or controversial. George now tackles Ancient Rome and the early life of the legendary Emperor Nero. From being nearly drowned by his uncle, Caligula, to his volatile relationship with his mother Agrippina, his marriage to Poppaea, Rome's battle with Queen Boudicca, his meeting with the Apostle Paul, and the burning of Rome, readers are swept back into history and given a front row seat.
Beyond Nero's political dealings, George delves into Nero's personal side as well. His love of the arts and music, and his inner turmoil of being an Emperor and the nefarious things he had to do along the way. George paints Nero as a flawed man, but one that knows he is flawed.
I look forward to George continuing Nero's story in her next novel, which she is currently working on now. I remember hearing somewhere that she is also thinking of writing a book on Queen Boudicca and I sincerely hope that she does. I wanted to hear more about Boudicca's battle with Rome.
I highly recommend you checking out The Confessions of Young Nero, it's a fascinating look at a real, yet flawed, Emperor Nero! May I note as well, the hardcover copy is absolutely gorgeous and has a deckle edge, which I love!
Rating: 4 Stars
March 9, 2017
This book = THE ME I’M TRYNA BE IN 2017.
Guys, I have a huge favor to ask you. Putnam asked me to review this book way back a few months ago, and now I finally got to do it! But could you guys please check out the full review on my blog? It's right here: https://emmareadstoomuch.wordpress.co.... I'm so honored they asked me and I'd love for them to want to work with me in the future so please give that a like!
Although given the silliness of this review, that probably won't happen. You can take the girl out of the proper situation for a goofy review, but you can't take the tendency to write goofy reviews out of the girl.
God, I love Ryan Gosling. Anyway, please check out that review!! Thanks, guys. Wouldn't be here without ya :P
Guys, I have a huge favor to ask you. Putnam asked me to review this book way back a few months ago, and now I finally got to do it! But could you guys please check out the full review on my blog? It's right here: https://emmareadstoomuch.wordpress.co.... I'm so honored they asked me and I'd love for them to want to work with me in the future so please give that a like!
Although given the silliness of this review, that probably won't happen. You can take the girl out of the proper situation for a goofy review, but you can't take the tendency to write goofy reviews out of the girl.
God, I love Ryan Gosling. Anyway, please check out that review!! Thanks, guys. Wouldn't be here without ya :P
June 30, 2019
Her writing is on the heavier side, but I completely understand why Margaret George is well-loved and respected in the historical fiction genre. This was a wonderfully informative read.
March 24, 2017
Nero was an excellent choice for a faux-autobiography: limited contemporary or near-contemporary sources (which have also been called out for anti-Nero bias); dangerous political and familial manoeuvring; an historical period of turbulent change and destruction. All it needed was a compelling storyteller to add his voice to the tale.
This is part one of two, beginning with his early life on the outskirts of power right to the heart of it as Emperor. Margaret George cleverly evokes our sympathy for a young man caught up in the unpredictable, perilous family politics of Rome, with poison and plots, schemes and sex. Amidst this, Nero is shown as clever and capable, doing what he can to ride the waves of luck or misfortune which come his way, far from being a master of his destiny. And yet, there are signs, little hints of what is to come as he grows older, as he starts to take control of people and events. The author never lets us lose that first impression while she slowly illuminates the darker side of his character. Before you know it, your thoughts are so conflicted they make no sense, and any history buff will know there's worse to come. It very much reminded me of the progression of Walter White in Breaking Bad, except I knew where this one was going.
Character isn't the only thing Margaret George gets right. The art with historical fiction, and particularly that set in ancient Greece or Rome, is incorporating current culture and the detail of daily lives into the background without making it as jarring as a broken, buzzing, flashing neon sign. Something that shouts: look at me, this is my research, I KNOW things. Not only does she manage to make this information illustrative without being ostentatious, she shows us the ideas prevalent at the time: prejudices against Greek culture, the role of slaves or the 'lower people' of Rome, attitudes about family and marriage, the force exerted by the past on the present... It all adds depth and veracity to the story.
Most definitely an author I should have picked up before now, I'll be moving on to The Memoirs of Cleopatra next.
ARC via Netgalley
This is part one of two, beginning with his early life on the outskirts of power right to the heart of it as Emperor. Margaret George cleverly evokes our sympathy for a young man caught up in the unpredictable, perilous family politics of Rome, with poison and plots, schemes and sex. Amidst this, Nero is shown as clever and capable, doing what he can to ride the waves of luck or misfortune which come his way, far from being a master of his destiny. And yet, there are signs, little hints of what is to come as he grows older, as he starts to take control of people and events. The author never lets us lose that first impression while she slowly illuminates the darker side of his character. Before you know it, your thoughts are so conflicted they make no sense, and any history buff will know there's worse to come. It very much reminded me of the progression of Walter White in Breaking Bad, except I knew where this one was going.
Character isn't the only thing Margaret George gets right. The art with historical fiction, and particularly that set in ancient Greece or Rome, is incorporating current culture and the detail of daily lives into the background without making it as jarring as a broken, buzzing, flashing neon sign. Something that shouts: look at me, this is my research, I KNOW things. Not only does she manage to make this information illustrative without being ostentatious, she shows us the ideas prevalent at the time: prejudices against Greek culture, the role of slaves or the 'lower people' of Rome, attitudes about family and marriage, the force exerted by the past on the present... It all adds depth and veracity to the story.
Most definitely an author I should have picked up before now, I'll be moving on to The Memoirs of Cleopatra next.
ARC via Netgalley
December 21, 2016
I managed 200 pages of this book and then gave up. At that point I wasn't even half way through it and Nero had just become emperor. Then I learned that this is only part one of Nero's story and I knew that I had made the right decision. I would prefer to read a history book about Nero rather than this mix of fact and imagined conversations and feelings. I also thought that the author made a poor decision to have this story told in the first person by Nero (initially as a 4 year old) rather than in the third person. Even a preternaturally intelligent child with total recall could not possibly have remembered the conversations, or understood the political machinations, that he recounted in this book. This just wasn't for me.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher.
March 8, 2017
Admit it. When you hear the name Nero, you think of the late great Peter Ustinov’s performance in the movie Quo Vadis. If you do not know what I am referring to, check out IMDB. The common view of Nero is he was (in no particular order) a madman, a murderer, a incestuous son, the persecutor of Christians, a third rate artist and a lousy husband. That image of Nero is exactly why Margaret George has written The Confessions of Young Nero. Ms. George states in her Afterward that she was “drawn to him as I sensed the vast gap between the perception of him and what he really was.” I am glad to wrote this book as it addressed the myth and the man.
I have read several of Ms. George’s previous books. One of my biggest personal library losses is the disappearance of my hardback copy of The Autobiography of Henry VIII (1986) somewhere in the last two moves since 1988. She is a very talented writer who uses hard research as the skeleton she fleshes out in her historical fiction. The Afterward of this book explains in detail how Nero’s reputation was sabotaged and how she worked through many sources to find unbiased resources.
The book begins when Nero is three years old and his uncle Caligula tries to drown him. Great trust building exercise. The majority of the chapters are narrated by Nero. There are occasionally other narrators, such as his mother Agrippina, Locusta (the premier poisoner of Rome), and Acte, the freedwoman who loved him. These short changes of perspective help pull all the different strands of the story together. It is a complex story. Anything that deals with the Roman Empire is complex.
George’s Nero is not the full grown ruler of the largest empire in the world. He is a small child, raised by Greek slaves and freedmen. He is a child who comes to loved his step-father and watches as his mother destroys him to satisfy her own ambition. He is helpless and a pawn in the larger schemes of others. As he comes to terms with his mother’s ambitions of him, he still strives to be the best of what his step-father’s hopes for him were.
Nero’s slide from the his good intentions to his heavy handed rule is well documented. This is where George’s genius shines. She creates a full story, complete characters and believable environments. She is historical fiction at it’s best. This is the first part of a two part novel, the first time George has done this. I am looking forward to the next novel.
I have read several of Ms. George’s previous books. One of my biggest personal library losses is the disappearance of my hardback copy of The Autobiography of Henry VIII (1986) somewhere in the last two moves since 1988. She is a very talented writer who uses hard research as the skeleton she fleshes out in her historical fiction. The Afterward of this book explains in detail how Nero’s reputation was sabotaged and how she worked through many sources to find unbiased resources.
The book begins when Nero is three years old and his uncle Caligula tries to drown him. Great trust building exercise. The majority of the chapters are narrated by Nero. There are occasionally other narrators, such as his mother Agrippina, Locusta (the premier poisoner of Rome), and Acte, the freedwoman who loved him. These short changes of perspective help pull all the different strands of the story together. It is a complex story. Anything that deals with the Roman Empire is complex.
George’s Nero is not the full grown ruler of the largest empire in the world. He is a small child, raised by Greek slaves and freedmen. He is a child who comes to loved his step-father and watches as his mother destroys him to satisfy her own ambition. He is helpless and a pawn in the larger schemes of others. As he comes to terms with his mother’s ambitions of him, he still strives to be the best of what his step-father’s hopes for him were.
Nero’s slide from the his good intentions to his heavy handed rule is well documented. This is where George’s genius shines. She creates a full story, complete characters and believable environments. She is historical fiction at it’s best. This is the first part of a two part novel, the first time George has done this. I am looking forward to the next novel.
January 3, 2018
Margaret George is an author I have loved for years and each new novel is a rare and treasured thing. I knew this would be special and it really is. One of those occasions when five stars can never be enough.
July 2, 2017
This book absolutely surprised me, and annoyed me because Margaret George is definitely trying to rewrite history here. I have been interested in the life of Emperor Nero since I learned about him in Mr. Felt's 7th grade history class. According to the three surviving historical reports written about Nero, he sounded like a completely crazy person. He was Rome's youngest Emperor (only 16), and his inexperience led to disasters. He despised and persecuted Christians, he forced admittance into the Olympics and then insisted on winning, though he was wonderfully overweight, he commissioned a 100 foot bronze statue to be built in his likeness, and lived especially lavishly.
He poisoned his adopted brother Brittanicus, who was the rightful heir to the empire; he ordered Seneca, the Roman philosopher and his tutor, to commit suicide; he killed his first wife, Octavia, after he wrongly accused her of infertility and infidelity so he could marry his second wife; he killed his second wife, Poppaea Sabina, by kicking her while she was pregnant during an argument; he killed the husband of his third wife so he could marry her; then he reportedly castrated and married a manservant that looked a bit like Poppaea, his second wife. He also made several attempts on his mother's life, including a collapsing ceiling above her bed (didn't work), several poisoning attempts (she took antidotes), and finally putting her on an elaborate boat that was actually built to sink (she simply swam ashore), and then he just finally had her assassinated. He also had himself killed when he heard of an assassination plot that was likely only a rumor. He ordered his private secretary to kill him before others could.
His mother was probably even worse than Nero. She was reported to have poisoned or killed at least 10 people that we know of, including two of her husbands, once of which was Emperor Claudius (her biological uncle, no less), whom she had poisoned so that Nero could be Emperor. She was accused of incest with several family members, including Nero himself.
In short, the Romans were NUTS. But Margaret George is a Nero sympathizer and writes a book from Nero's perspective, obviously trying to redeem him a bit. She paints Nero as an impressionable boy with an insane mother, and put his wacky decisions in a very forgiving light. She denies many of the ancient roman records and reports a different Nero entirely. I understand her trying to analyze the historical records, and agree that there is likely some lies mixed with truth, but I don't think he could have been even remotely as wonderful as she makes him out to be. Because this is a novel, she takes many liberties with the dialogue and assigns many motives that she could not know, like when he released the apostle Paul. George makes Nero seem like a fan of Paul, and he chooses the release Paul because he was being unjustly held. While Paul's imprisonment was unjust, it does not explain why Nero not only eventually had Paul beheaded, but also had Peter crucified. He hated the Christians and trying to pretend otherwise is ridiculous.
I enjoyed learning more about the historical context of Nero's story, but I really disliked her historical rewrite. Perhaps Nero was not as evil as historians made him out to be, but he was not a good man, as George would have her audience believe.
Also, Ancient Rome was INSANE.
He poisoned his adopted brother Brittanicus, who was the rightful heir to the empire; he ordered Seneca, the Roman philosopher and his tutor, to commit suicide; he killed his first wife, Octavia, after he wrongly accused her of infertility and infidelity so he could marry his second wife; he killed his second wife, Poppaea Sabina, by kicking her while she was pregnant during an argument; he killed the husband of his third wife so he could marry her; then he reportedly castrated and married a manservant that looked a bit like Poppaea, his second wife. He also made several attempts on his mother's life, including a collapsing ceiling above her bed (didn't work), several poisoning attempts (she took antidotes), and finally putting her on an elaborate boat that was actually built to sink (she simply swam ashore), and then he just finally had her assassinated. He also had himself killed when he heard of an assassination plot that was likely only a rumor. He ordered his private secretary to kill him before others could.
His mother was probably even worse than Nero. She was reported to have poisoned or killed at least 10 people that we know of, including two of her husbands, once of which was Emperor Claudius (her biological uncle, no less), whom she had poisoned so that Nero could be Emperor. She was accused of incest with several family members, including Nero himself.
In short, the Romans were NUTS. But Margaret George is a Nero sympathizer and writes a book from Nero's perspective, obviously trying to redeem him a bit. She paints Nero as an impressionable boy with an insane mother, and put his wacky decisions in a very forgiving light. She denies many of the ancient roman records and reports a different Nero entirely. I understand her trying to analyze the historical records, and agree that there is likely some lies mixed with truth, but I don't think he could have been even remotely as wonderful as she makes him out to be. Because this is a novel, she takes many liberties with the dialogue and assigns many motives that she could not know, like when he released the apostle Paul. George makes Nero seem like a fan of Paul, and he chooses the release Paul because he was being unjustly held. While Paul's imprisonment was unjust, it does not explain why Nero not only eventually had Paul beheaded, but also had Peter crucified. He hated the Christians and trying to pretend otherwise is ridiculous.
I enjoyed learning more about the historical context of Nero's story, but I really disliked her historical rewrite. Perhaps Nero was not as evil as historians made him out to be, but he was not a good man, as George would have her audience believe.
Also, Ancient Rome was INSANE.
April 4, 2017
I received a copy of this book from Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.
A gloriously fresh perspective on Rome's most notorious Caesar.
There's something incredibly satisfying about reading a well-written historical fiction - and Margaret George doesn't disappoint. It's a fairy sizeable book (around 600 pages, I believe) - but I was thoroughly hooked throughout.
The story follows Nero - initially as a young boy called Lucius, raised by his Aunt. We follow his exploits as he meets his mother again, rises to become the adopted son of a Caesar, then finally takes the title for himself. The story ends on something of a cliffhanger, as the emperor who 'fiddled' races towards a burning Rome...
There's so much to praise about this book. Firstly - the depiction of Nero himself. If ever there was a maligned Roman Caesar, it's this guy. History has written him off as a madman, content to play his instrument whilst his city burned beneath him - a pleasure-seeker with no interest beyond his own carnal desires. Of course, as we all know, history has a habit of being rather biased, and the author's assumption that this is the case with Nero probably isn't far off the mark.
The Nero in this book is sensitive, thoughtful - and a true artist, who feels constrained by his elevated role. The author doesn't shy away from his various misdeeds (e.g. murdering his own mother!) but rather seeks to explore possible motive, rather than simply making him out to be insane / evil.
The supporting characters are likewise compelling. Locasta the poisoner was a real favourite (I kept expecting to see her return at the end, as she's so integral throughout!), and wise, rational Seneca. The author was also exceptionally adept at imagining what it would actually be like to be Caesar - yes, the wealth, the privilege, the luxury - but also the restrictions, the sycophancy and the fear of others plotting against you.
Overall, masterfully done - I'll be keeping an eye out for other books by Margaret George, that's for sure!
A gloriously fresh perspective on Rome's most notorious Caesar.
There's something incredibly satisfying about reading a well-written historical fiction - and Margaret George doesn't disappoint. It's a fairy sizeable book (around 600 pages, I believe) - but I was thoroughly hooked throughout.
The story follows Nero - initially as a young boy called Lucius, raised by his Aunt. We follow his exploits as he meets his mother again, rises to become the adopted son of a Caesar, then finally takes the title for himself. The story ends on something of a cliffhanger, as the emperor who 'fiddled' races towards a burning Rome...
There's so much to praise about this book. Firstly - the depiction of Nero himself. If ever there was a maligned Roman Caesar, it's this guy. History has written him off as a madman, content to play his instrument whilst his city burned beneath him - a pleasure-seeker with no interest beyond his own carnal desires. Of course, as we all know, history has a habit of being rather biased, and the author's assumption that this is the case with Nero probably isn't far off the mark.
The Nero in this book is sensitive, thoughtful - and a true artist, who feels constrained by his elevated role. The author doesn't shy away from his various misdeeds (e.g. murdering his own mother!) but rather seeks to explore possible motive, rather than simply making him out to be insane / evil.
The supporting characters are likewise compelling. Locasta the poisoner was a real favourite (I kept expecting to see her return at the end, as she's so integral throughout!), and wise, rational Seneca. The author was also exceptionally adept at imagining what it would actually be like to be Caesar - yes, the wealth, the privilege, the luxury - but also the restrictions, the sycophancy and the fear of others plotting against you.
Overall, masterfully done - I'll be keeping an eye out for other books by Margaret George, that's for sure!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2017
The best summary of this book's flaws come from the USA Today review of it:
In short, it’s a city you’ll believe — filled, unfortunately, with people you won’t.
Margaret George clearly did a lot of research. This book is full of window dressing about life in ancient Rome; everything from daily life to major celebrations and festivals. In that respect it's the kind of immersive experience I hope to get from historical fiction.
However the people... Well. The characterization is about as flimsy as Agrippina's assassination boat.
The book starts out somewhat strong. There's a subtle exploration of kid Nero's trauma and general befuddlement with adult politics. Each chapter seems to bring increasingly diminishing returns. In the author's note, Margaret George states she wants to redeem a maligned historical figure. That's all well and good. However, this Nero is bland, with absolutely no agency whatsoever. Nearly all of his negative acts are assigned to someone else. When Nero actually does do something morally dubious, the narrative twists itself in knots to make it self-defense. The author claims he couldn't have been that bad because people left flowers on his grave after his death, apparently missing that even charismatic leaders have their detractors. Often with good reason. In all honesty, this just feels like a mirror image of the ancient Roman sources that the author's notes cite. Instead of him being pure evil, he's 99.9% wonderful. Both takes are boring and unlikely.
This could have been forgivable in some respects if the author had tried to reconsider other historical figures who get caricatured in the popular imagination. But, no, Agrippina is an incestuous murderer. Messalina is malevolent and suicidally promiscuous (the narrative literally calling her "pure evil" at one point.) Caligula is a maniac, even though he was subject to missing contemporaneous sources as well. The narrative tries to blend all the different caricatures of Claudius into one but isn't really successful, so it's impossible to know what he's all about. Whenever things seem to build to an interesting point of conflict between two characters, the narrative just drops it. Case in point:
I'm deeply annoyed by this book and would have given it one star but for one thing. Like I said before, it's really good at portraying a time and place. I'll probably read the sequel out of morbid fascination.
In short, it’s a city you’ll believe — filled, unfortunately, with people you won’t.
Margaret George clearly did a lot of research. This book is full of window dressing about life in ancient Rome; everything from daily life to major celebrations and festivals. In that respect it's the kind of immersive experience I hope to get from historical fiction.
However the people... Well. The characterization is about as flimsy as Agrippina's assassination boat.
The book starts out somewhat strong. There's a subtle exploration of kid Nero's trauma and general befuddlement with adult politics. Each chapter seems to bring increasingly diminishing returns. In the author's note, Margaret George states she wants to redeem a maligned historical figure. That's all well and good. However, this Nero is bland, with absolutely no agency whatsoever. Nearly all of his negative acts are assigned to someone else. When Nero actually does do something morally dubious, the narrative twists itself in knots to make it self-defense. The author claims he couldn't have been that bad because people left flowers on his grave after his death, apparently missing that even charismatic leaders have their detractors. Often with good reason. In all honesty, this just feels like a mirror image of the ancient Roman sources that the author's notes cite. Instead of him being pure evil, he's 99.9% wonderful. Both takes are boring and unlikely.
This could have been forgivable in some respects if the author had tried to reconsider other historical figures who get caricatured in the popular imagination. But, no, Agrippina is an incestuous murderer. Messalina is malevolent and suicidally promiscuous (the narrative literally calling her "pure evil" at one point.) Caligula is a maniac, even though he was subject to missing contemporaneous sources as well. The narrative tries to blend all the different caricatures of Claudius into one but isn't really successful, so it's impossible to know what he's all about. Whenever things seem to build to an interesting point of conflict between two characters, the narrative just drops it. Case in point:
I'm deeply annoyed by this book and would have given it one star but for one thing. Like I said before, it's really good at portraying a time and place. I'll probably read the sequel out of morbid fascination.
March 28, 2017
In the Roman Empire, after the rein of Julius Caesar, Nerō Claudius Caesar Augustus Germanicus was born. Nerō was adopted by his great-uncle Claudius, Emperor, to become his heir and successor. As boy, there are attempts on Nerō’s life. He learns at a young age that life can be fleeting. He even fears his own mother, Agrippina, noting *“I knew then that to be her enemy was to perish—and that being her son would not exempt me.” He knows that she has murdered before!
Young Nerō loves art and sport. He loves to watch the races at the Circus Maximus and even talks his tutor into arranging for him to take lessons in sport. He tends to be able to have fun and be a child only when his mother is away.
This is book one and only covers Nerō’s younger years. Book two will delve into his final four years of life, cut short at a young age.
I tend to enjoy long “meaty” books, especially dealing with history. At 528 pages, this book qualifies however, I did find it dragged on in parts and could have been edited down at least 100 pages, perhaps more. I did read an uncorrected proof, so perhaps it went through more editing before publication, this month.
I did enjoy Margaret George’s writing and descriptions of life in the Roman Empire and do recommend it. I could tell that the book was well researched as well.
*Please note that this quote was in the uncorrected proof and may not appear in the published version.
Young Nerō loves art and sport. He loves to watch the races at the Circus Maximus and even talks his tutor into arranging for him to take lessons in sport. He tends to be able to have fun and be a child only when his mother is away.
This is book one and only covers Nerō’s younger years. Book two will delve into his final four years of life, cut short at a young age.
I tend to enjoy long “meaty” books, especially dealing with history. At 528 pages, this book qualifies however, I did find it dragged on in parts and could have been edited down at least 100 pages, perhaps more. I did read an uncorrected proof, so perhaps it went through more editing before publication, this month.
I did enjoy Margaret George’s writing and descriptions of life in the Roman Empire and do recommend it. I could tell that the book was well researched as well.
*Please note that this quote was in the uncorrected proof and may not appear in the published version.
March 20, 2017
4.5 stars. "The Confessions of Young Nero" is the latest book from Margaret George, one of my very favorite historical fiction writers. Historical fiction lovers know that when you read a book by Margaret George, you're in for real treat. This book is definitely no different! I enjoyed this story and was very excited to see that this is only George's first book in a planned series on Nero.
In this book, George takes us back to ancient Rome, to when Nero the infamous Emperor is still a young boy. Even though he's very young in this book, he is still involved with some of the palace intrigue that seems to go along with being in ancient Rome. Not only is Nero fascinating but some of the secondary characters really add to the book. His mother is bent on ensuring that he will one day become emperor and that she will reap the benefits of his power. She is definitely an interesting character and one that I would want to stay far, far away from her in real life as she seems to have a tendency to get upset when things don't go her way and try to poison people. There is poison and plots galore throughout this book.
This book covers from when Nero was a young boy to when he becomes Emperor and the few years after that. This book is supposed to be the first in a duology or series from George on Nero. One thing that I really like that George does with this book is she is able to humanize and give good insight into Nero. Being a history lover, I had heard a lot of things about Nero. You hear all sorts of stories about the kind of person that he was (not usually positive) and George gives him some humanity and somewhat of a explanation as to why he was the way that he was.
The detail in the story is a true treat! As with George's other books she spends a lot of time coming up with the great detail in order to give the reader a full body experience when reading this book. I thoroughly enjoyed this book but I'm kind of sad but I've already read it and now have to wait for its companion. The wait will be well worth it as I am excited to finish this great story!
In this book, George takes us back to ancient Rome, to when Nero the infamous Emperor is still a young boy. Even though he's very young in this book, he is still involved with some of the palace intrigue that seems to go along with being in ancient Rome. Not only is Nero fascinating but some of the secondary characters really add to the book. His mother is bent on ensuring that he will one day become emperor and that she will reap the benefits of his power. She is definitely an interesting character and one that I would want to stay far, far away from her in real life as she seems to have a tendency to get upset when things don't go her way and try to poison people. There is poison and plots galore throughout this book.
This book covers from when Nero was a young boy to when he becomes Emperor and the few years after that. This book is supposed to be the first in a duology or series from George on Nero. One thing that I really like that George does with this book is she is able to humanize and give good insight into Nero. Being a history lover, I had heard a lot of things about Nero. You hear all sorts of stories about the kind of person that he was (not usually positive) and George gives him some humanity and somewhat of a explanation as to why he was the way that he was.
The detail in the story is a true treat! As with George's other books she spends a lot of time coming up with the great detail in order to give the reader a full body experience when reading this book. I thoroughly enjoyed this book but I'm kind of sad but I've already read it and now have to wait for its companion. The wait will be well worth it as I am excited to finish this great story!
November 13, 2017
Margaret George’s interpretation of Nero defies the stereotypes that come not only from Hollywood in our own times but also in some of the surviving ancient histories. She sees him gifted in poetry, music and athletics, caring for his subjects and preferring diplomacy over war.
Most of the book “is written by Nero”; there are a few chapters by Locusta (a poisoner) and Acte (his first love).
“Young Nero” basically renounces his family’s murderous past. He attempts to steer clear of it until he realizes he may be killed by his own mother and survival kicks in. The character of (his mother) Agrippina is particularly well drawn by the conversations and events showing her conniving. Nero gives his thought process as he plans his counter measures.
There is an interesting scene with Paul of Tarsus. Nero (reputed outside this book to persecute Christians), gives him his freedom which offends his wife Poppacae a supporter of the Jews.
In the end Nero is performing on the cithara (a stringed instrument) while, unbeknownst to him, Rome is on fire.
George’s Henry VIII and Elizabeth I books were better reads for me, but it could be that I know Tudor lives well enough to appreciate the rendering and the irony and this is not so with Nero. It could also be that Tudor England is, simply, richer material for this style of novel.
While it gets a bit wordy in between the action scenes this is a good read.
A follow up volume for Nero’s later life is in the works. I will surely look for it. George can’t use the title “Confessions of an Old Nero” since he died at age 30.
Most of the book “is written by Nero”; there are a few chapters by Locusta (a poisoner) and Acte (his first love).
“Young Nero” basically renounces his family’s murderous past. He attempts to steer clear of it until he realizes he may be killed by his own mother and survival kicks in. The character of (his mother) Agrippina is particularly well drawn by the conversations and events showing her conniving. Nero gives his thought process as he plans his counter measures.
There is an interesting scene with Paul of Tarsus. Nero (reputed outside this book to persecute Christians), gives him his freedom which offends his wife Poppacae a supporter of the Jews.
In the end Nero is performing on the cithara (a stringed instrument) while, unbeknownst to him, Rome is on fire.
George’s Henry VIII and Elizabeth I books were better reads for me, but it could be that I know Tudor lives well enough to appreciate the rendering and the irony and this is not so with Nero. It could also be that Tudor England is, simply, richer material for this style of novel.
While it gets a bit wordy in between the action scenes this is a good read.
A follow up volume for Nero’s later life is in the works. I will surely look for it. George can’t use the title “Confessions of an Old Nero” since he died at age 30.
March 17, 2017
The Confessions of Young Nero is a masterfully wrought story of one of the most notorious emperors in Roman history. George's take is not as sensationalist as some might have preferred, but instead, envisions the life of Nero beginning with his earliest days, long before he had any thought of being the leader of the Roman Empire. The historical details are so tightly woven into the heart of the story that as a reader you are immediately swept into the center of what could feel like a foreign world but instead unfolds in a tableau easily rendered in the mind's eye.
It is impossible to truly know what Nero was like based on the few texts of his life and legacy, which are most certainly somewhat distorted by politics and the passing of time. Perhaps he was as horrible as our collective cultural imagination deems him. But what if he wasn't? George walks a fine line between those two possibilities, taking us along for Nero's journey from childhood to adulthood, expertly telling us a fascinating story of an emperor that left an indelible mark on the history of western civilization.
It is impossible to truly know what Nero was like based on the few texts of his life and legacy, which are most certainly somewhat distorted by politics and the passing of time. Perhaps he was as horrible as our collective cultural imagination deems him. But what if he wasn't? George walks a fine line between those two possibilities, taking us along for Nero's journey from childhood to adulthood, expertly telling us a fascinating story of an emperor that left an indelible mark on the history of western civilization.
August 25, 2018
This is the second book by this author that I've read in about a week. I enjoy her writing. She not only does her research, but she also has a way with words. Some of this had me in complete awe....it was beautifully written.
This book is a book where I liked the writing a little more than the story. That doesn't mean I didn't like the story...I did. I listened to the audio and the narrators did a great job. I also didn't mind the creative liberties taken by the author to fill in the gaps. I didn't mind the different angles she took with Nero and his life. I enjoyed that part of this. Maybe if I were a real history buff, I might not, but that is one of the things I like about Historical Fiction. I like a different spin sometimes. But even with all that said, Nero (to use a quote my mother used often) was 'a piece of work.' This book didn't show that side, but still enjoyable....so 4 stars.
This book is a book where I liked the writing a little more than the story. That doesn't mean I didn't like the story...I did. I listened to the audio and the narrators did a great job. I also didn't mind the creative liberties taken by the author to fill in the gaps. I didn't mind the different angles she took with Nero and his life. I enjoyed that part of this. Maybe if I were a real history buff, I might not, but that is one of the things I like about Historical Fiction. I like a different spin sometimes. But even with all that said, Nero (to use a quote my mother used often) was 'a piece of work.' This book didn't show that side, but still enjoyable....so 4 stars.
April 5, 2017
Contemporary politics looks like child’s play compared to that of Ancient Rome.
The Confessions of Young Nero, by Margaret George, is a 506-page epic novel, and likely the first in a series. In truth, I couldn’t imagine enjoying a novel about a man like Nero. Saints Peter and Paul were executed under his rule, and the myths and rumors of Nero’s scandalous lifestyle hardly make him a sympathetic figure. Imagine my surprise when I not only could not put the book down, but was even able to comprehend how a childhood rife with assassination attempts, poisoning of loved ones, and a mother who preyed upon and used her son for political ascendancy could have produced such a man.
One of my college history professors once told her class that she could never understand why anyone thought history was boring; it was all sex and violence. Margaret George reinforces that fact in The Confessions of Young Nero. Ancient Rome, its provinces, and its people are vividly rendered in all their glory, and the plotting, scheming, successes and failures of the imperial dynasty are clear and readable. It is a true testament to George’s writing that the reader will find herself not only rooting for unsavory outcomes to benefit young Nero, but will also be moved by his challenges and triumphs.
Fans of Philippa Gregory and Diana Gabaldon will love The Confessions of Young Nero. While the reader may or may not like Nero, his intelligence, creativity, and drive cannot be denied.
The Confessions of Young Nero, by Margaret George, is a 506-page epic novel, and likely the first in a series. In truth, I couldn’t imagine enjoying a novel about a man like Nero. Saints Peter and Paul were executed under his rule, and the myths and rumors of Nero’s scandalous lifestyle hardly make him a sympathetic figure. Imagine my surprise when I not only could not put the book down, but was even able to comprehend how a childhood rife with assassination attempts, poisoning of loved ones, and a mother who preyed upon and used her son for political ascendancy could have produced such a man.
One of my college history professors once told her class that she could never understand why anyone thought history was boring; it was all sex and violence. Margaret George reinforces that fact in The Confessions of Young Nero. Ancient Rome, its provinces, and its people are vividly rendered in all their glory, and the plotting, scheming, successes and failures of the imperial dynasty are clear and readable. It is a true testament to George’s writing that the reader will find herself not only rooting for unsavory outcomes to benefit young Nero, but will also be moved by his challenges and triumphs.
Fans of Philippa Gregory and Diana Gabaldon will love The Confessions of Young Nero. While the reader may or may not like Nero, his intelligence, creativity, and drive cannot be denied.
April 21, 2019
From the beginning of the book, you can tell that the author has done her research, and done it with very thorough detail. She has taken a historical figure and brought him to life through her free-flowing prose and draws you in with her attention to every detail. Full review you can find on my blog: https://poetryofreading.blogspot.com/...
March 3, 2017
How could I resist a story of Nero one of the most famous of Rome's Caesars from his childhood to the heights of his days as emperor? Well I couldn't and I've always wanted to try a some of Margaret George's historical fiction. This was a slow build story introducing a broad cast of colorful characters and set against a deftly painted background and a carefully constructed plot. But patience during the early pages was worth it because I felt I was able to really know the Nero of this story and truly feel sympathy for the character.
The author argues in her notes that the Nero we are familiar with is the one told from the perspective of only three of the myriad historians and others painted him and his actions quite differently. I would suppose this is true to I was willing to be persuaded to put a more positive spin on many of his actions, though that said, this Nero was no saintly innocent, but could get as dark and brutal as any in his family tree when he felt threatened or there was something he really wanted.
The Confessions of Young Nero begin when he is a very small child and carry through to his time as Roman emperor. He has known what it is to be in danger of his life as a child and to see his mother ruthlessly clear the way for his rise. As a teen, he is married to his cousin and also step-sister since his mother married her own uncle, Emperor Claudius. Then he falls for a freed Greek woman and they share a special love all in secret. As long as there are other family descendants and his manipulating mother is around, Nero cannot be safe so he does something about it. Ruthlessly. Nero is taken with the arts of music and drama and with Greek sports and chariot racing, but what he is not taken with is making war. Much of his life, Roman is at peace, but Nero faced war in Britain with Queen Boudicca and helped gain peace in the east with Parthia. During this time, he falls in love again and it is deeply with his friend's wife who is willing to divorce Otho to have Nero. Nero uses his power to divorce his wife and have his Poppinaea.
So, this was a long one and it begins with Nero's family history and situation. I was a little lost amongst all the names and past situations that were mentioned. Then I settled when it moved forward with Nero's own story. Interestingly, this is told first person and mostly by Nero, but there are two other brief narrators, Locusta the Poisoner and Acte his first love. Both of their outside perspectives were good for seeing him through other eyes.
When I read a historical fiction, I am quite aware that it is- well, fiction. What I want to see is a story that is convincing that it could actually happen that way. Or when it is about a person, that it could be true of them. I felt this book did that. Other famous people were part of this story and played their roles in Nero's life and the Roman history at the time.
The main character, Nero, was portrayed as a man of his times and their ways were different from our modern ones. He truly believed in the Roman and Greek gods, in curses, in signs and fortunes as did the people. Though that said, Nero saw value in other races and in other classes. It was interesting to see things as the people of that time saw them.
For most of this book, Nero is young, but he is also forced to grow up fast. There are orgies and parties, but the author drops a veil over that side just like she stays vague about the brutal side.
Nero appears as a romantic figure and one who wishes to do good by his people. He walks the path alone much of the time because of his heritage and his exalted rank, but he wants true love, friends and he wants to have earned the accolades he is given. He was a great favorite of the common people. I'm a bit of a romantic, too, because reality or not, I enjoyed seeing this side of Nero.
This is only part one of the story and it ends abruptly on an ominous note promising things are about to get a bit crazy and bad. Because it's history, I'm well aware what comes in the end. I was glad to have gotten all this earlier history and to know Nero as a man and not just emperor. I would recommend this one for those who enjoy historical fiction and particularly fiction centered around a famous historical figure.
My thanks to Penguin-Random House for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
The author argues in her notes that the Nero we are familiar with is the one told from the perspective of only three of the myriad historians and others painted him and his actions quite differently. I would suppose this is true to I was willing to be persuaded to put a more positive spin on many of his actions, though that said, this Nero was no saintly innocent, but could get as dark and brutal as any in his family tree when he felt threatened or there was something he really wanted.
The Confessions of Young Nero begin when he is a very small child and carry through to his time as Roman emperor. He has known what it is to be in danger of his life as a child and to see his mother ruthlessly clear the way for his rise. As a teen, he is married to his cousin and also step-sister since his mother married her own uncle, Emperor Claudius. Then he falls for a freed Greek woman and they share a special love all in secret. As long as there are other family descendants and his manipulating mother is around, Nero cannot be safe so he does something about it. Ruthlessly. Nero is taken with the arts of music and drama and with Greek sports and chariot racing, but what he is not taken with is making war. Much of his life, Roman is at peace, but Nero faced war in Britain with Queen Boudicca and helped gain peace in the east with Parthia. During this time, he falls in love again and it is deeply with his friend's wife who is willing to divorce Otho to have Nero. Nero uses his power to divorce his wife and have his Poppinaea.
So, this was a long one and it begins with Nero's family history and situation. I was a little lost amongst all the names and past situations that were mentioned. Then I settled when it moved forward with Nero's own story. Interestingly, this is told first person and mostly by Nero, but there are two other brief narrators, Locusta the Poisoner and Acte his first love. Both of their outside perspectives were good for seeing him through other eyes.
When I read a historical fiction, I am quite aware that it is- well, fiction. What I want to see is a story that is convincing that it could actually happen that way. Or when it is about a person, that it could be true of them. I felt this book did that. Other famous people were part of this story and played their roles in Nero's life and the Roman history at the time.
The main character, Nero, was portrayed as a man of his times and their ways were different from our modern ones. He truly believed in the Roman and Greek gods, in curses, in signs and fortunes as did the people. Though that said, Nero saw value in other races and in other classes. It was interesting to see things as the people of that time saw them.
For most of this book, Nero is young, but he is also forced to grow up fast. There are orgies and parties, but the author drops a veil over that side just like she stays vague about the brutal side.
Nero appears as a romantic figure and one who wishes to do good by his people. He walks the path alone much of the time because of his heritage and his exalted rank, but he wants true love, friends and he wants to have earned the accolades he is given. He was a great favorite of the common people. I'm a bit of a romantic, too, because reality or not, I enjoyed seeing this side of Nero.
This is only part one of the story and it ends abruptly on an ominous note promising things are about to get a bit crazy and bad. Because it's history, I'm well aware what comes in the end. I was glad to have gotten all this earlier history and to know Nero as a man and not just emperor. I would recommend this one for those who enjoy historical fiction and particularly fiction centered around a famous historical figure.
My thanks to Penguin-Random House for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
March 8, 2017
I will start by noting that I have read all of Ms. George’s books; she is one of my favorite authors so I was very excited to see something new and to learn that there is a second book in the series. Perhaps it’s bias but I love going into a book just knowing it’s going to be good. There are a few authors that I completely trust that will be true when I pick up their books and Ms. George is up at the top of that list.
In this new book she brings the Roman emperor Nero to life – you know about Nero, right? The guy who fiddled while Rome burned. Would it surprise you to learn that not everything written about Nero is true? Would it surprise you to learn that some of the more provocative and horrible things written about him were true? But which are and which were a product of the old “history is written by the victors” school of smear the losers so we winners look all the better? That question gets trickier to answer when an author is dealing with a figure who lived so very long ago. Not much written record has survived and much of what is available was written many years after Nero’s demise.
Ms. George does an excellent job of reading between the lines of history to parse the best and the worst of our hero to present a story of a young man who was really never meant to rule but who had a mother who was determined that he would. The book is told in his voice and it starts from when he is very young – 4 years old – and he is a very prescient child. This was the only (minor) complaint I had with the book. It seemed that the narration maintained its tone for the bulk of Nero’s early life despite beginning at such an early age. It changes towards the end as he comes into his power but for a good third of the book Nero’s voice is similar whether he is a toddler of 4 or a preteen. This is minor and picky but there you go.
Other than that I loved, loved, loved this book. It took me back to one of my favorite times in history to one of the emperors about which I didn’t know as much as I would like. Nero is a very complicated character and he admittedly did some awful things but somehow in context and compared to some of the rest of his family he almost seemed angelic. Not to forgive him his actions by any mean but to at least refute some of the worst wrongs of his reputation.
The book is a page turner that brings ancient Rome to life for the reader; the architecture, the food, the raucous parties and the machinations of power. It’s a tale of a mother’s desire for power for not just for son but for herself. It’s a story of love and hate, revenge and all that comes with money and power. It’s also the story of a young man who was a poet, musician and strong proponent of the arts at a time when most were not.
Read it. Learn about this compelling and complex man.
4.5
In this new book she brings the Roman emperor Nero to life – you know about Nero, right? The guy who fiddled while Rome burned. Would it surprise you to learn that not everything written about Nero is true? Would it surprise you to learn that some of the more provocative and horrible things written about him were true? But which are and which were a product of the old “history is written by the victors” school of smear the losers so we winners look all the better? That question gets trickier to answer when an author is dealing with a figure who lived so very long ago. Not much written record has survived and much of what is available was written many years after Nero’s demise.
Ms. George does an excellent job of reading between the lines of history to parse the best and the worst of our hero to present a story of a young man who was really never meant to rule but who had a mother who was determined that he would. The book is told in his voice and it starts from when he is very young – 4 years old – and he is a very prescient child. This was the only (minor) complaint I had with the book. It seemed that the narration maintained its tone for the bulk of Nero’s early life despite beginning at such an early age. It changes towards the end as he comes into his power but for a good third of the book Nero’s voice is similar whether he is a toddler of 4 or a preteen. This is minor and picky but there you go.
Other than that I loved, loved, loved this book. It took me back to one of my favorite times in history to one of the emperors about which I didn’t know as much as I would like. Nero is a very complicated character and he admittedly did some awful things but somehow in context and compared to some of the rest of his family he almost seemed angelic. Not to forgive him his actions by any mean but to at least refute some of the worst wrongs of his reputation.
The book is a page turner that brings ancient Rome to life for the reader; the architecture, the food, the raucous parties and the machinations of power. It’s a tale of a mother’s desire for power for not just for son but for herself. It’s a story of love and hate, revenge and all that comes with money and power. It’s also the story of a young man who was a poet, musician and strong proponent of the arts at a time when most were not.
Read it. Learn about this compelling and complex man.
4.5
October 15, 2018
I read this whole book struggling to figure out why the author was being so kind to Nero. Her Nero had no resemblance the evil historical figure I had learned about in my life. Had I read the author's AFTERWARD before beginning the book I would have given this book a higher rating but since I was confused by her benevolent Nero character throughout the 400 plus pages I read first I cannot give it the higher rating it probably deserves. I look forward to reading the Nero #2 book when it comes out. I'm sure I will have a better appreciation for what I am reading.
September 22, 2017
It has been a while since I read Margaret George. I have read three of her earlier historical novels and found them a highly palatable way of learning old, old history. (Mary, Queen of Scotland and the Isles, The Memoirs of Cleopatra, and The Autobiography of Henry VIII.) She likes to dig deep and correct historical misperceptions about these larger-than-life characters who left indelible effects on history.
She attempts to do the same for Nero, a later emperor of the Roman Empire, best known for fiddling while Rome burned. This volume will have a sequel as it covers only the first half of Nero's life, ending with the fire that left Rome a heap of cinders.
Nero was descended from Julius Caesar due to a circuitous family tree that owed much to famous murders and remarriages in the tumultuous ways of empire and power. It opens with an instance of Caligula trying to drown Nero when he was only six and follows his childhood as his ambitious and lethal mother employs a renowned poisoner to do away with anyone who stands in the way of her son becoming Emperor.
She succeeds in placing him as such when he is only sixteen. Nero continues in her tradition, eventually having his own mother murdered! It is a bloody tale in which Margaret George tries to show how a young man who loves chariot racing and the arts embraces the role of power while trying to bring culture to a decadent Rome.
She is a smooth writer, foregoing long sentences and using only enough description to bring the times and locales to life. However, this time I felt a bit disappointed in an almost too simplistic rendering of a complex man. She certainly makes Nero a sympathetic character, as she did with Mary, Cleopatra, and Henry, but in those earlier books she somehow did a better job (at least in my recollection) of bringing the full personality of those rulers to life. I cried when Mary, Queen of Scots died. I wished I could have met Cleopatra. I almost forgave Henry VIII for killing so many wives.
Perhaps part of the problem was that Nero's worst deeds are still ahead of him and I will feel more satisfied when I read the sequel. I read this for a reading group and all the other members loved it. I don't argue that she makes history easy to assimilate and does her research with competence. It could be that Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall trilogy (still waiting for that third volume coming out next year) spoiled me for this kind of historical writing.
She attempts to do the same for Nero, a later emperor of the Roman Empire, best known for fiddling while Rome burned. This volume will have a sequel as it covers only the first half of Nero's life, ending with the fire that left Rome a heap of cinders.
Nero was descended from Julius Caesar due to a circuitous family tree that owed much to famous murders and remarriages in the tumultuous ways of empire and power. It opens with an instance of Caligula trying to drown Nero when he was only six and follows his childhood as his ambitious and lethal mother employs a renowned poisoner to do away with anyone who stands in the way of her son becoming Emperor.
She succeeds in placing him as such when he is only sixteen. Nero continues in her tradition, eventually having his own mother murdered! It is a bloody tale in which Margaret George tries to show how a young man who loves chariot racing and the arts embraces the role of power while trying to bring culture to a decadent Rome.
She is a smooth writer, foregoing long sentences and using only enough description to bring the times and locales to life. However, this time I felt a bit disappointed in an almost too simplistic rendering of a complex man. She certainly makes Nero a sympathetic character, as she did with Mary, Cleopatra, and Henry, but in those earlier books she somehow did a better job (at least in my recollection) of bringing the full personality of those rulers to life. I cried when Mary, Queen of Scots died. I wished I could have met Cleopatra. I almost forgave Henry VIII for killing so many wives.
Perhaps part of the problem was that Nero's worst deeds are still ahead of him and I will feel more satisfied when I read the sequel. I read this for a reading group and all the other members loved it. I don't argue that she makes history easy to assimilate and does her research with competence. It could be that Hilary Mantel's Wolf Hall trilogy (still waiting for that third volume coming out next year) spoiled me for this kind of historical writing.
March 20, 2017
This is a beautifully published book, and I do enjoy reading about ancient Rome. In this case, Nero is given a voice so the reader must have a liking for emotional descriptions as a child grows to adulthood. It will not be for everyone, particularly since it will require reading the second volume. We leave this one as Nero is about to ride into the burning city of Rome. "Either Rome and I perished together, or we survived together...And we descended the hill , heading into the maelstrom."
One "teeny" sample of the writing: "That night, as I lay on the bed in the echoingly large room, I heard the tinkling sound of music carrying across the water. A clean, fresh breeze came from the open balcony that overlooked the bay. ..The sailors staged a mock sea battle on the bay, better than any I had ever seen in the confined spaces of flooded amphitheaters."
I wish I could type the conversation Nero held with the Apostle Paul so you could get the feel for the perils of presenting imagined eye-witness accounts as this book does.
I do praise the publisher for producing one of the most attractive books I have seen of late, but I will not read the second volume.
One "teeny" sample of the writing: "That night, as I lay on the bed in the echoingly large room, I heard the tinkling sound of music carrying across the water. A clean, fresh breeze came from the open balcony that overlooked the bay. ..The sailors staged a mock sea battle on the bay, better than any I had ever seen in the confined spaces of flooded amphitheaters."
I wish I could type the conversation Nero held with the Apostle Paul so you could get the feel for the perils of presenting imagined eye-witness accounts as this book does.
I do praise the publisher for producing one of the most attractive books I have seen of late, but I will not read the second volume.
December 14, 2016
This could have gone either way, and in the beginning I wasn't sure if I liked it or didn't but this book gained on me as I kept reading. The author has a way of staying true to the basic facts of history whilst inserting her own humor and wit, making this a compelling read for anyone curious about the past and the historical figure at the center of this book.
I enjoyed the flow of this book, it was straight forward enough not to veer tragically from history, but not so dry and stiff that it was like reading a boring non-fiction essay. The author is creative in her word choices and kept me reading until the book was finished. In the end, I thought this was smartly written and entertaining and looked forward to discussing it with others.
If you enjoy historical books, this one will surely please you.
This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
I enjoyed the flow of this book, it was straight forward enough not to veer tragically from history, but not so dry and stiff that it was like reading a boring non-fiction essay. The author is creative in her word choices and kept me reading until the book was finished. In the end, I thought this was smartly written and entertaining and looked forward to discussing it with others.
If you enjoy historical books, this one will surely please you.
This review is based on a complementary copy from the publisher, provided through Netgalley. All opinions are my own.
April 29, 2017
Margaret George paints a more sympathetic picture of the last of the Julian/Augustan Roman emperors. He was athletic, musical, artistic and not as debauched as the old Roman historians like Suetonius depict him. He had his dark side, for sure; guilty of several murders to achieve and maintain his power. George shows a different Nero than the one who "fiddled while Rome burned". The fire was a result of volcanic activity. There is a follow-up stand alone novel about his reign after the fire. I will probably read that one.
I listed to the book on audible.com. The narrator Steve West was excellent, although his depiction of the female voices often was jarring. Maybe just a softening of the voice instead of raising it would have been more successful for me. His tone and diction was lovely to listen to when he was narrating Nero.
I listed to the book on audible.com. The narrator Steve West was excellent, although his depiction of the female voices often was jarring. Maybe just a softening of the voice instead of raising it would have been more successful for me. His tone and diction was lovely to listen to when he was narrating Nero.
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